Lost Twin

Chapter 01: Forks, Washington

January 12th, 2005

Elizabeth's POV
I'd never given much thought to how I would die.. But dying in the place of someone I love seems like a good way to go..... So I can't bring myself to regret the decision that brought me here to die...... The decision to leave home in Phoenix, Arizona and return to my birthplace in Forks, Washington. The decision that led me to meet them, and allowed me to meet him.

I'm standing on the front porch leaning against the railing as I watch Isabella, my twin, stands at the end of a cul-de-sac on the desert's edge. The sun blazing behind her as she bends down and carefully scoops a tiny barrel cactus into a clay pot.

She stares at the cactus in a state of reverie, until a blonde teenager calls out to both her and me "Bye, Elizabeth! Bye, Bella!" There's actually three tanned, athletic, blonde girls that hop into a convertible Mercedes as they bid us, complete strangers despite us going to the same school and living in the same neighborhood for the pass six years, goodbye. Their flawless, bought-and-paid for beauty contrasts with mine and Isabella's pale naturalness. They wave.

"Good luck at your new school!" Another calls out. Their superficial good wishes, and 'don't forget to write's' make me roll my eyes as I politely wave at them in return "We'll miss you guys!" The third calls out. Isabella waves back as well, sweetly, but halfheartedly as she steps off the curb and says "Have a good—" and trips making me wince as I almost leap up to help her but resist remembering a previous discussion about letting Isabella help herself. When she rights herself, they're already gone "... life."

Clearly, not close friends. Isabella's selfish and jealous demeanor and rather stupid but psychopathic intelligence preventing her from ever truly having friends. Whereas my antisocial personality/social anxiety and above average intelligence made it hard to get to know me, and placed an invisible barrier between me and anyone who tried to get close to me.....even my own family at times.

That's why I decided to move to Forks....a small town that would no doubt have a very small population of average, but helpful and kind teenagers with a couple few immature oddballs. I could make friends and reconnect with my father....that was all I wanted....at first.

Our mother, Renee, a woman in her mid 30's standing at a height of 5'4 with short, straight red hair with hints of brown and gray-blue eyes paired nicely her fair-olive skin tone, exits our house and approaches me from behind.

It's low rent for this ritzy neighborhood. Renee is eclectic, scattered, anxious, more best friend than parent.....my only friend for that matter. She thrusts a cell phone at me and childishly whines "It won't work again, baby!" With a pout on her plump lips that I inherited.

I fumbled with the phone before saying "You put it on hold" making Renee frown and confusingly ask "I did?" I nodded and pointed at the phone to show her "Look. You also called Mexico. Do you even know Spanish or Portuguese, mom?" Renee pushes me playfully, we laugh as Isabella approaches us

"I'll figure it out. You two gotta be able to reach me and Phil on the road -I love saying that - on the road!" Renee says dreamily at the end "Very romantic" Isabella says while eyeing me up with a glare.

Ever since we were little Bella has blamed me for our parents divorce when we were three. Why? I'm not sure I was just a baby at the time, but Renee says that they just couldn't see eye to eye anymore and that Charlie didn't want visitation....until now that is.

Phil, 31, good looking with an athlete's body with blue eyes and a brown goatee with a smooth shaved head, exits the house, carrying Isabella's and mine's suitcases with seemingly ease "If you call crappy motels, backwater towns and ballpark hot dogs romantic!" He jokes.

He puts his Phoenix Desert Dogs baseball hat on Renee's head with a kiss. Phil's love of Renee reassures Bella and I that we've made the right decision.

We would never leave our beloved mother without a caretaker. Besides she needed some alone time with her husband since they never got to have a honeymoon because of us....

Phil heads to the old station wagon to load the luggage, while Renee slips her arm through mine and Isabella's, clinging to us as we walk to car.

"Now, you know if either of you change your minds, I'll race back here from wherever the game is" but Renee's strained expression tells us what a great sacrifice that would be. Isabella forces a smile and says "We won't change our minds, mom" and shoots me a scathing look daring me to disagree with her

"You might. You've always hated Forks, and neither of you have been there since you were three. You don't know anyone!" Renee said fretfully and I spoke up "It's not about Forks, or the people, it's about Dad. I mean, we haven't seen or spoken to him in fourteen years, we barely know each other!"

Isabella shoots me another scathing look but doesn't say anything and ignores me as she walks over to the station wagon. Renee's still has a worried look on her face as she eyes me specifically. Ever since I almost died at birth Renee's much more protective and paranoid about me.

I force a smile as I say "Mom, I want to go. I'll be fine. We'll both be fine" to once again reassure her but as Renee hugs me, I can't help but let my true feelings and nerves show anxiousness, nervousness, dread, doubt, regret. I look over to see my clumsy twin, Isabella, struggling as she climbs into the back seat of the car.

I sigh and release myself from my mother's warm and comforting embrace, and head over to the other side of the back seat where gracefully slide in and buckle up while my twin struggles for a few more minutes before actually getting in and sneering at me as she buckles up "Show off! You better not be more popular than me at school!" I ignored her and instead pop in my ear buds to listen my shuffled music come on.

We get to the airport and bid our mother and stepdad goodbye one last time before boarding the plane.